


Who Is?

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-02-26
Updated: 2002-02-26
Packaged: 2019-05-15 01:49:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14781317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Josh thinks about who is really good enough for Donna.





	Who Is?

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Who Is?**

**by:** Ang Purschke 

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, never will be. Unless Aaron Sorkin is willing to sell it. Somehow I don't think he will. 

**Category:** Romance, Josh/Donna 

**Spoilers:** H Con 172

**Rating:** YTEEN-13

**Author's Note:** So I've never actually posted a JD fic yet, if you like this one, let me know, because I do have a few more. I was inspired to write this post-ep fic during a particularly long english lecture, so, here goes. 

I am flying high. The hearings are over. All we had to do is admit we lied. 

Which, you know, we did, and we'd already mostly admitted it, this just made it official. 

So really, based on the numbers, we haven't lost anything. Not one thing. 

I love my job. 

And, I've got a social life. A real one, with a girlfriend and everything. 

Donna is ecstatic. She has declared that the only thing left for me to do is, and I quote 'be extremely un-Josh-like so that you get laid and my life gets easier'. Apparently when I was dating, and sleeping with, Mandy THREE YEARS AGO, she feels I was much more pliable than I am now. 

But that's not the part that bothers me. What bothers me is that Donna actually wants me to sleep with Amy. 

Not that I don't want to sleep with Amy. I distinctly remember Chris declaring that she was amazing in bed. 

But Donna wants me to. I don't know why that bothers me, but it does. The fact that Donna is dating Cliff again bothers me even more. 

Clifford Elliot Calley. Sounds like a devil name to me. 

Leo told her it was okay now, since the hearings are over and he's not majority council anymore. 

I tried to explain to Leo that he's still Republican, but was told, and again I quote, to 'stay out of her love life or I'll get Abbey involved'.

I don't want the First Lady involved, so I have prudently decided to stay out of Donna's love life.

He said nothing about Sam staying out of her love life. 

"No." Sam says abruptly, and starts back to his office. 

"Sam, my hands are tied. I'm not allowed to do anything about this." 

"And I have no desire to. Everything she's told me about this guy has been very positive Josh. He's smart, well dressed, and nice to her. Donna likes him." 

"He's Republican!" 

"I said no Josh." 

"Sam, please." 

We get to his office. "Josh, I understood this obsession of yours to keep Donna single when you were single too. You're with Amy now. Leave Donna's love life alone." 

"I am. I'm asking you to do this." 

"No." 

"He's evil Sam. You know he is." 

"He's really not Josh." 

"I don't like him." 

"Josh, sit down." 

I sit in a chair accross from him. "What?" 

"Ignore two things for me, since neither of them are reasons that Donna is dating him. The fact that he's Republican, and anything linked to the hearings. What, other than those two very insignificant things, don't you like about Cliff Calley?" 

"He's an ass Sam." 

"Dammit Josh, come up with a real reason." 

"Did you know that his middle name is Elliot? What kind of a sissy has a middle name like Elliot?" 

"Josh, who cares?" 

"I do! Donna deserves better than him! He tried to - 

"Josh, you have been crowing about the fact that the hearings are over for a month now. The numbers are fantastic. He did that. He came up with that deal." 

I run my fingers through my hair. 

"Josh, Donna really likes him. He's been good for her." 

"I really don't like him Sam. This is important." 

"You're happy with Amy right?" 

"This isn't about Amy Sam." 

"Yes, it is. You're happy with her right?" 

"Yeah." 

"Then leave Donna alone." 

"I can't. Calley isn't good enough for her." 

"Then who is? The guy is a saint. He volunteers for Habitat in Mexico, he donates time to World Vision. He insists on paying when they go out. He adores her Josh." 

"He's evil Sam." 

"He's really not." 

"There has to be something." 

"Leave it alone Josh." 

"He's not good enough." 

"I repeat: Who is?" 

I look at Sam painfully. "Please." 

He shakes his head. "I'll think about it." 

"Thanks." I stand, and leave his office to return to my own. 

Who is good enough for Donna? I've never really taken the time to think about that. I just know that none of those gomers she picks are. He's got to be smart, witty. She likes to banter. He has to be quick on his feet, since she moves quickly through various topics. 

He's going to have to have an immense patience for trivia. 

And get his own coffee, since she refuses to serve anyone. 

He'll need a decent home, but no picket fence. Donna hates those. 

He can't be Republican. Not just because I don't like them, but because eventually, those ideas will come between them, and that'll hurt Donna. 

He'll probably have to be older than her, since the men her age just can't compete with her intellectually, and she needs someone who can keep up with her, even challenge her occasionally. 

He has to be willing to deal with the fact that she works 16 hours a day, seven days a week. I am not giving her up just because she starts to date. I need her too much. 

I suppose Sam would be alright for her, but no offense intended, he's just to much of a pretty boy to keep her entertained for long enough. 

I know where this is going. It's been going here all along. I'm not ready though. Maybe Sam isn't really such a pretty boy after all. At least with him I could keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. Plus Sam would totally get the work thing. He knows she keeps my life on track. 

She keeps me from getting fired at least five times a day. I really don't tell her that enough. 

That's not the point though. The point is to find someone worthy of the goddess that is Donnatella Moss. I can't let some local gomer hurt her. I love her too much for that to happen. 

She needs someone who can't get through the day without her. Someone who needs her to tell him when he's late, when he should eat, what to eat, when to sleep. Little things that make him fall for her more and more each day that passes by. 

Like she does for me. 

My phone rings and Donna answers it. She pokes her head into my office. "Amy is on line three." 

"Thanks Donna." I say, lifting the receiver and punching the line. 

"Hey." 

"What's up J?" 

"Not much." 

"I need to talk to you. Can I come to your office?" 

"When?"

"Close to now." 

"I don't know. I'll ask Donna." 

"You're asking your assistant if you can talk to your girlfriend?" she sounds edgy. 

"I'm asking my assistant if I have a meeting or if I'm free." I clarify.

"You don't know?" 

"That's what Donna is here for." 

"Donna's job description states that she makes your schedule. She doesn't have to make sure you keep it." 

"Donna has always kept track of me." 

"Whatever. Look J, just put me through to her then. Maybe she can pencil me in." she snaps. 

"Sure." I put her on hold again. "DONNA!" I shout. 

She's shaking her head as she comes in. "Josh, how many times do I have to tell you. My desk is right outside your door. You don't have to shout."

"Check my schedule and let Amy know if I'm free to meet with her right about now. She's on three waiting for you." 

"Shouldn't you tell her if you're free or not?" 

"I don't know if I'm free or not. You only give my schedule to me in three hour blocks and it's been three and a quarter hours since you last gave it to me." 

"That's because you disappeared with Sam. Had you been in your office where you were supposed to be twenty minutes ago, you would have known that you're free until four-thirty." 

"Good. Now could you tell Amy that since she's the one who asked?" 

"Again, why can't you tell your own girlfriend you can talk to her?" 

"I think she's mad at me." 

"Could it be because you've been having me schedule your dates with her instead of making them yourself?" 

"I doubt it." 

"Josh, I talk to her more than you do." 

"Not the point Donna, just tell her that she can come now." 

"I can't." 

"Why not?"

She points at the phone. "She hung up." The phone rings again. Donna grabs it. "Josh Lyman's office...hey Steve...yeah, send her in." she hangs up. "Amy's here. I'm making myself scarce so that she can just walk in."

"Don't bother, I already did." Amy says from the door. 

"What did you, run?" I ask her incredulously. 

"Pretty much." I notice that Donna has left, closing the door behind her. 

"So, you wanted to talk?" 

"Yeah. J, this isn't working." she says softly, sitting in one of my chairs. 

"It's not?" 

"No. It's not that I don't want it to, because I do. You're a great guy. But now I get why everyone in DC thinks you're dating Donna." 

My eyebrows raise. "Everyone in DC thinks I'm dating my assistant who is actually dating the Republican Cliff Calley?" 

She nods. "Yeah, they do. Face it J, you're in love with her. Otherwise you wouldn't have called him that." 

"I wouldn't have?" 

"No, you would have said 'my assistant who has a boyfriend'. J, you wreck her dates, you badmouth her boyfriend. I can't date someone who's in love with another woman. I don't need that." 

"Amy, I am not in love with Donna." 

"Why don't you like Cliff Calley J?" 

"He's not good enough for her." 

"Who is J? You?" Amy stands. "I'm sorry. If you need a friend to talk to though, call me." 

I nod. "Later Amy." I say calmly. 

"Later J." she turns, and leaves. 

Donna comes in after her. "So, what did she say?" 

"We broke up." I tell her. 

She raises her arms in defeat. "I'm never going to see my apartment again. Josh, you were supposed to keep her. You were supposed to get laid so that you would be more pleasant to deal with. GAH!" 

"Well I'm sorry if my miserable love life interferes with your professional happiness!" I shout. I have to shout. She's dating Calley.

"It doesn't! But come on Josh, face it, when you're having sex, you're happy. When you're happy, you're nice. When you're nice, you please Senators. When you please Senators, you don't get in trouble. When you don't get in trouble, I don't have to help you fix it. Essentially, when you're having sex, we don't have as much work to do. Which means I get to go home. Which means I get to sleep." 

"And have sex with your boyfriend, right?" 

Donna's eyes bug out. "First of all, this has nothing to do with Cliff. Second of all, Cliff and I broke up." 

"You what?" She broke up with him? She can be with me? Wait. I'm not supposed to think about that. 

She sits down accross from me."We broke up Josh. It wasn't meant to be." 

"I thought he was this great guy?" 

"He's not the one I want." He's not? 

"I'm sorry Donna." I hold up my hand. "And yes, I know that I don't like the guy, but hey, you did, so I'm sorry you're hurting." 

"Thanks Josh." 

So who's the one you want? I can't say that. "He wasn't the one huh?" 

"Nope. The one I want just doesn't seem to want me though, so I guess I'll just have to try to move on." 

Not if it's me. You are not moving on if it's me. Period. "How do you know?" 

She smiles. "He thinks that I don't know how to choose men. He's wrong though. I chose him." 

Oh my god. It is me. It has to be. "Maybe if you brought him coffee." 

Her eyes widen and she stands. "I have to - 

"Don't go Donnatella." I say softly. I stand up and walk to her quickly. "There's a reason he protests when you date." 

She faces me. "There is?" 

"Those other guys, Donna, they're just not good enough for you." 

"At least they notice me. He doesn't." 

I close my eyes. "Yes, I do. Donnatella, I really do." 

She touches my face softly. "Joshua." I look at her. 

"I'm not good enough for you either." I whisper. 

"Yes, you are." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah." 

"Okay. You know that I love you, right?" 

"I do now. I love you too Josh." she kisses me lightly on the lips. 

"Wow." I mutter. 

"Basically." 

I pull her to me again only to hug her tightly. "I'm never letting you go."

"You'd better not." 

"I still don't think I'm good enough." 

"Trust me Joshua. You really are." 


End file.
